Running from the Past
by Hatter-Break
Summary: When Kakashi meets a girl who claims to be running from murderous pursuers, he takes her in, and slowly prys into her past. Not only will he learn of the girl's pain and suffering, he'll learn something new about his own feelings.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody. Just so nobody's confused. I wanted to let you know that this takes place pre-Naruto. Karasu is nineteen, while Kakashi is twenty.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters (except for Karasu) -

The girl stared down from her perch on the tree branch, her green eyes unblinking, watching the three genin to be flounder through their test through her mask of snow white hopped silently through the branches, scanning the ground for their instructor. She knew that these were shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves of the country of fire, and if she could just convince a powerful Ninja of their village, then maybe, just maybe she'd have a chance. He was moving extremely fast, though, that wasn't unexpected, seeing as he was a jonin level shinobi. When he finally stopped, holding something out, taunting his students, her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on him. All she could make out was his spiked gray hair, and single eye. His left eye was covered by his headband, while the lower half of his face was covered by a mask. Her eyes widened.

"Could he be…no…someone like him wouldn't stoop to teaching children…" Deciding to take the pause in his training as an opportunity. She jumped down from her hiding place, and landed softly, and gracefully, on her feet in front of him. The genin behind her yelped, while the jonin gazed at her calmly. She stood up straight, and held the instructor's dark eyed stare. She suddenly broke her gaze, whipped around, and blocked an attack from one of the genin. She smirked, held his arm, and kicked him away. "Now, do either of you want to be as foolish as your friend?" she questioned the other two genin icily. They shook their heads, fear burning in their wide eyes. Before she could turn around, she felt the cold steel edge of a kunai pressed to her neck, and a strong arm wrapped around her waist to restrain her.

"Now…" said a stern, yet composed voice. "…I don't care who you are, or what you want, but I will not allow you to lay a hand on my students, even if I was about to fail them."

"You must have missed it, but…" She quickly pulled out her kunai from her belt, pressing it to the man's stomach. "…your student attacked me first." They jumped apart, and spun to face each other, both ready for the other to attack at any given moment. "Honestly, aren't they taught to analyze their opponents before running into battle?" she asked, as she put her kunai back onto her belt, showing that she wasn't there to fight. The man relaxed slightly, but didn't let his guard down. "Relax, I'm not here for a fight," she stated.

"Then why are you here?" he asked. She sighed.

"To make a long story short, I-" The footsteps a small group of people cut her off. "Oh no, not now…" she murmured, then turned to the jonin. "You never saw my face." With that, she jumped back into the tree, and hopped over a few branches. She watched as a second jonin with his three genin entered the clearing.

"Kakashi! Is something wrong, I thought I heard your students scream," the man said, concern evident in his tone of voice.

"Kakashi…so it is him?" Kakashi's attention was still focused on the tree where she was hidden, as if he knew she was there.

"No, no…everything's fine, my students just got…excited." She let out a sigh of relief, glad to know that her cover wasn't blown. The man scrutinized him skeptically, then nodded, taking his word for it.

"I see. Well, I guess if nothing's wrong, then I can just continue to train my students. Good luck." He ran off, the three kids that had followed him to the clearing now following him out.

"You can come out now." She gasped, shocked, then leapt down, landing in front of him again.

"How did you-"

"Know? I just had a feeling I guess." She frowned, worried that if her plan didn't work out, this guy could easily be the one assigned to track her. "Now, who are you, and what do you want?" She thought of a way to explain her situation so that he wouldn't be weary of her.

"Well, there are these people chasing me. They've been chasing me for a few months, and I realized that if I had a shinobi village to hide in, they wouldn't dare come after me. Especially if the famous Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake lives in the village" He raised an eyebrow, then looked at his students.

"You three, you've failed the test. You are to be sent back to the Ninja academy. Go back to the village, you aren't worth my time to train." Each of them looked hurt, disappointed, and angry. One of them was about to argue, but Kakashi's gaze stopped her. They turned, and left, one of them on the verge of tears.

"That was harsh." Kakashi ignored her comment.

"You're expecting me to just allow you to follow me back to my village, and accept you as one of us?" She nodded. "You're an idiot. First of all, I have no way knowing if this story of yours is true, secondly, if it is, I don't know who these people are, or why they're chasing you." She bit her lip, realizing the truth in his words. "Well, I'll be going now," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait! Please! These people want me dead! No honorable shinobi will stand by and let one of their own be killed!" He stopped, and turned to look at her.

"You aren't one of my own though. You're an unknown shinobi, from an unknown village. A perfect stranger to me. I see no reason to protect you." She gritted her teeth, fists clenched.

"My father once told me, that no matter who the shinobi was to me, I should strive to help them, whether it be my closest friend, or someone I just met. He was killed living by his words, and I promised him that I would continue to live, and carry out his dreams! If these people catch me, I won't be able to keep that promise!" she snapped. He looked her up and down for a moment.

"What's your name?" he questioned.

"I'm Karasu Ushinawa," she said. He thought for a moment.

"Fine Karasu, you can follow me, but I'm taking you to my village as my prisoner. You'll still be safe, and I'll be able to keep an eye on you that way." She scowled, but nodded. "Follow me." Kakashi led Karasu through the forest, towards his village. As thy walked, he reached into his pocket, and Karasu flinched. "Relax, I'm not going to attack you." Instead of a weapon, he pulled out a book, which he read as they went.

"Is that what I think it is?" He glanced at her, then closed his eye. She could picture the smile on his lips under his mask. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You're a renowned jonin, and a teacher!" He shrugged indifferently.

"I'll read what I want to read." Karasu rolled her eyes.

"Whatever…pervert."

"Think whatever you'd like, it won't bother me. You are my lowly prisoner after all." An irritated growl escaped her throat, and Kakashi chuckled. She wanted to bite back, but she bit her tongue so he wouldn't change his mind about allowing her to stay. The rest of the walk was finished in silence, the only nose being the chirping of the birds flying over head. Kakashi stopped at the end of the trees, at the top of a hill that loomed over the village. He stepped aside, allowing Karasu to look out over Konoha. "This is it." Karasu was in awe. The village was peaceful, yet bustling and full of life. She could see crowds walking through what she assumed was the market. The whole village was surrounded by more woods, and behind it, on a huge mountain, lifelike faces were carved into the stone.

"What are those?" she asked.

"Those would be the faces of our four great hokage." She blinked, a smile creeping to her lips.

"It's beautiful…"

"I wouldn't get too comfortable. There's no guarantee that you'll be allowed to stay for long, if at all," Kakashi warned. She nodded in understanding, and took a step forward to start down the hill. Before she could take a second step, Kakashi grabbed her wrist, and forced her to turn around.

"Ow! That…hurt…" she said, fear welling up in the pit of her stomach as Kakashi's dark eye bored into her green ones with an intensity that she could feel coming off of him in waves.

"Listen, and listen closely…" he began in a soft yet menacing tone. "You have no rights here. If I see you arguing with any citizen of Konoha, whether they be an elder or a child, I will punish you. If I find out that you pick fights or instigate, I will punish you. If I find that you plan to cause harm to Konoha, or mean ill will towards the village or anyone in it…I will kill you. If you try to leave Konoha without me, I will kill you. This is my home, and I will not bring you here, and treat you with hospitality to have you betray, and hurt it. If you run, and tell somebody the secrets of this village, I will not stand for it. Do I make myself clear Karasu?" Kakashi's had his face inches from hers, glowering at her threateningly. She nodded slowly, her whole body trembling.

"C-crystal…Kakashi…" He let go of her, stood up straight, and his mood changed instantly. His eye was closed with a smile.

"Good, now lets get going!" He started off down the hill. Karasu stared after him, utterly confused. "Well, are you coming, or are you going to stand there all day?" She shook her head.

"Yeah, wait up!" With that, she jogged to catch up to him.


	2. Chapter 2

As they walked through the bustling village, Karasu was either awestruck, or just plain charmed by every little thing she saw. Whether it was merchandise that was being sold in a shop, or simply children playing with their toys, she gave a small smile. Kakashi watched her, finding her reactions both intriguing, and amusing.

"It's not like you've never seen a village before, you had to have come from somewhere," he finally said, after she had been distracted by a fruit being sold at a small stand.

"Well…my village was never quite this…happy and boisterous…and I've never seen a fruit like this…" she said, picking up the spiny purple fruit, and examining it. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, get your hands off of my food!" the owner of the stand snapped, snatching the fruit away from Karasu. She blinked.

"I-I'm sorry sir, I was just-" Kakashi placed money in front of the man.

"She was going to be buying it," he explained. The stand keeper quickly smiled, and took the money.

"Oh, why, my apologies miss, and thank you for your purchase Kakashi." He held the fruit back out to Karasu, who hesitated, but took it, giving Kakashi an astonished look.

"Are you coming?" She nodded. As they continued, she turned the fruit in her hands.

"Um…thank you Kakashi…but why did you buy it for me…I thought I was your prisoner?" He shrugged.

"It's not like I can hold anything against you yet. So far, as far as I can tell, you're just a curious girl forced into a new village by cruel twists of fate." She looked at him, but couldn't read him very well at all. She took one last look at the fruit, and took a bite. As soon as it hit her tongue, she spat it back out, completely disgusted.

"What the hell is this thing?" she questioned. "It's so bitter." Kakashi chuckled.

"It's an amai kaniku fruit. The skin his horribly bitter, but the flesh of the fruit is as sweet as candy. Honestly, I don't like it very much, I've never been a fan of sweet things. If you want, you can wait until we get back to my house, and I can peel it for you, while you explain everything." She eyed the fruit, and nodded. Eventually, they left the main road, and turned down a narrower, quieter path. They stopped in front of a small, quaint home. "Here we are," Kakashi said, unlocking, and pushing open the door. He let her in first. It was simple and tidy.

"It's very homey," she stated, looking around.

"That's generally the point of a home. Now, give me your fruit." She handed him the purple amai kaniku, and he led her into the kitchen. He pulled out a knife, and quickly began slicing the fruit with precision that was expected from a jonin. He motioned for Karasu to sit in a chair in the next room over, which she assumed was the dining room. Kakashi finished slicing and peeling the fruit, and brought it out, sitting across from Karasu. She took a bite, and sighed in pleasure. He was right, it was like candy. It had a smooth texture, and the sweetness filled her mouth as the juice washed over her tongue.

"It's delicious!" Kakashi nodded.

"That's what most people say. Now, I need you to start from the beginning." She looked at him.

"What do you mean? The beginning of what?" He sighed.

"You! Why are you here?" She thought for a moment.

"Well, I don't know if you really want me to get into the details, but my mother gave birth to me and-" He rolled his eye.

"That's not what I meant." She grinned.

"I know, I just wanted to mess with you." He rolled his eye again

"Where are you from, who's chasing you, and why are they chasing you?"

"I don't really fell like telling you all of that. I have a right to my secrets," she said, popping another piece of fruit into her mouth. Kakashi pulled the plate away from her, and she frowned.

"Listen Karasu. At the moment, until I say otherwise, you have no rights here. I'm not so cruel as to treat you like trash when you've done nothing wrong, however, until I know I can trust you, you and I are not equals. Until I can trust you, I am above you, and I make the rules that you must follow. Now answer my questions." Kakashi's dark glare emphasized the menace in his voice, and Karasu gulped, nodding.

"Well…I'm from the Country of Earth, and…my village…it was…less than peaceful…" she began. "In fact…there was no peace at all…yet, my parents…they were shinobi, and they fought with all of their hearts to protect it…they sacrificed their lives to make sure it was safe. It wasn't because they liked the way things were, but…they said it was our home, so we had to protect it, and believe that things would get better…" she explained, biting her lips to keep the tears, brought by the memories, from pouring from her eyes. Kakashi listened intently, nodding.

"And…what has you on the run, and from who?" he pressed.

"I'd rather not…"

"Karasu…" he warned. She sighed.

"To make it easier to explain, someone in my village told the head of the village that I was conspiring to kill him, and take over the village to avenge my parents…it wasn't true of course, but he was a coward, and he set his dogs on me…"

"Dogs?"

"They were the ones who ran the law there. They're all trained to be brutal, cold blooded assassins." Kakashi nodded in understanding. "The one who accused me was the one put in charge, and she's the one leading them now…they're so close on my tail…they caught up yesterday, and she…I panicked and…" She began breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face. Kakashi pushed the amai kaniku back to her, and she took a bite in an attempt to calm down. He sighed, and stood.

"So, in short, you're on the run from the law, not because of a crime you committed, but because of the cruel brutality of your village leader?" Karasu nodded. Kakashi put a comforting hand on her shoulder with a soft squeeze. "You poor girl…nobody should have to go through that trauma. I know this won't make it any easier, but I still need to keep tight reigns on you for the safety of my home." She nodded again.

"I-I understand…" she mumbled.

"Okay. You can finish eating, then I can show a little more of th-" Something struck him. "Wait, did you just say they caught up to you yesterday?"

"Y-yeah…"

"And then you said you panicked, but you never finished. What happened?" She brought her knee to her chest, and showed Kakashi the now infected gash across her leg. He gasped.

"I panicked, and I wasn't focused, and I got hit by a shuriken," she explained. Kakashi rushed out of the room without a word, and returned with medical supplies. He kneeled beside her, and got to work.

"I can't believe I didn't notice this earlier…why didn't you say something earlier?" She shrugged.

"I forgot about it…" He gave her an incredulous look.

"How do you forget about an injury like this?"

"In my village, the shinobi are taught to fight to the death. To do that, we have to ignore pain, so…I just didn't feel it." Kakashi shook his head.

"That's sick… how can anybody force someone to forget about their injuries. If you were alone, and couldn't treat his, you'd lose your leg and die from the infection…" he said, cleaning her wound thoroughly.

"Well, if we didn't ignore it, it was a sign of weakness, and we would be cut down where we stood by whoever we complained to."

"Things like that make me sick," he hissed. He realized something else, and stopped cleaning her wound for a moment to look at her. "Could they have followed you here?" Her eyes widened, as if she hadn't even thought of that possibility.

"I…I don't know…" She began to panic. "I hope not…I don't know if any of them saw which way I ran. Oh no…what if they did? If they did, they'll be here in no time!" She jumped up, accidentally kicking Kakashi, who was still working on her wound.

"Hey, calm down Karasu!" he said, standing up as well.

"Kakashi, I have to leave! I don't want them to attack this village…it's so wonderful, and peaceful…I can't let anything happen to it!" She quickly made her way to his door, but he grabbed her, and restrained her. She struggled against him. "Kakashi, let go!"

"I said calm down Karasu!" he demanded. "You're staying here. You said it yourself. No honorable ninja would stand by and let one of them die. Especially if I know you'll be safe here, I can't let you go. I haven't even finished dressing your wound." Slowly, she relaxed, and Kakashi was able to guide her back to the table, and sit her down. He quickly kneeled, and finished wrapping her leg. "If you're going to insist on leaving, at least give yourself a few days rest here. If they show up while you're here, you don't need to worry. Konoha is filled with capable fighters." She just looked at him.

"But you said that if…"

"If what?"

"If I posed a threat to Konoha, that you'd kill me." He sighed.

"You don't actually mean for any harm to come to the village. I'm not going to kill you for trying to survive." Karasu nodded.

"You must be exhausted. Let me show you where you can sleep."


	3. Chapter 3

Though all Kakashi had to offer her in terms of places to sleep was either a couch or the floor, Karasu had the best sleep she'd had in her whole life. It was the first time that she had fallen asleep without fear of not waking up, or waking up to find her pursuers surrounding her. When she had woken up, she had planned on making Kakashi breakfast, but those plans were dashed. She got up, and walked into the kitchen, only to see Kakashi leaning against the counter, reading his book. He looked up.

"Good morning Karasu. You slept well I hope?" She nodded.

"Best sleep I've ever had." He chuckled.

"Good to hear? How's that leg of yours," he asked, looking down to where her injury was. She shrugged.

"Like I said yesterday, I've been trained to forget about pain, so it really doesn't feel any different," she explained. He kneeled beside her, and unwrapped the bandage, examining her leg for a moment.

"Well, the swelling has gone down, and it's not as red as yesterday, so that's a good sign." He stood up. "I think you should be able to keep your leg," he said matter of factly. Karasu laughed nervously, unsure of whether or not he was kidding.

"So, uh…I was going to make you breakfast, but I guess that's out of the question now, isn't it?" she said, scratching the back of her head. She could make out a smile on his hidden features.

"Yeah, I've already eaten, thank you for the thought though." He slid a bowl of ramen towards her. "Here, this is your breakfast. After you eat, I figured we could walk around the village. I never got a chance to give you an official tour, I got distracted by that gash of yours." She smiled, nodding, and grabbing the bowl of ramen.

"I'd like that. You really are lucky to live in such a beautiful place…" He chuckled grimly. "What?" He glanced at a photograph that Karasu hadn't noticed earlier. It was of a sensei with his three students. They all had a big grin on their face, except for one, who she could tell was a younger Kakashi. "Was that your squad? Do you still work with them?" He crossed his arms, and sighed.

"That was my squad, but…I don't work with them anymore" Karasu cocked her head to the side.

"Why not, what happened? Did you guys not get along?" He let out another sigh.

"I wish that that was all it was…" Karasu realized what he meant, and suddenly felt guilty for asking.

"Oh…I'm sorry…you don't have to tell me…"

"No, you have a right to know about my past, since you've told me about yours. You see, to keep Konoha such peaceful, and beautiful place to live, sacrifices do have to be made…My old friend, Obito Uchiha died when we were fighting the Iwagakure forces during the Third Shinobi World War. They had kidnapped our other friend, Rin, and when we went back to save her, the fighting had knocked some boulders loose, and in order to save me, he pushed me out of the way…" Her brow furrowed in sympathy.

"I'm so sorry…you said the Third Shinobi World War, right? You must have been so young, and to have your friend…" He nodded. "What happened to the others? Rin and your sensei I mean."

"Well, shortly after Obito died, Rin disappeared, however, if you had known her, you would have known that she didn't just run away…I'm sure she's dead as well…"

"And your sensei?" Karasu pressed.

"Two years ago, my sensei, Minato Namikaze, who was the fourth Hokage, died protecting the village. We were plagued by the attacks of a nine-tailed fox. Using the last of his power, Minato sealed the demon away in the body of his now two year old son…sadly enough, the boy is now an orphan, yet nobody will offer to take care of him, for fear that the seal will break." She looked at her feet.

"That's awful…couldn't you offer to take care of him?" He laughed.

"Sorry, but I wouldn't make much of a father," Kakashi said, shaking his head. Karasu sighed, and sat down at the table with her ramen.

"You know Kakashi…I'm not the only one who's been through more hardship than I deserve. You have a pretty big burden yourself," she stated, and took a rather large bite of ramen. He shrugged.

"I suppose." After a couple of moments, silence filled the house, and Karasu ate the ramen ravenously, since this too, had been the best meal she could remember having. She finished with a satisfied sigh, and brought the bowl to the kitchen to wash it. Kakashi glanced up from his book. "That was fast." He stood up straight, closing his book. "Ready to go?" Karasu nodded excitedly. She couldn't wait to be back in the village, experiencing it's serene life. They left the house, and started towards the main road. "So, you've seen the market place already, but you haven't seen…"

"I want to see that up close!" she said, pointing at the carvings of the four Hokage. "It's amazing from a distance, but I just want to see it a little closer." Kakashi scratched the back of his head.

"Alright then, I suppose we can do that, follow me." They walked down the main street, which was already busy, despite the early hour. People were rushing from one place to another, and shop keepers and stand owners all called out their deals in an attempt to sell their merchandise. Karasu noticed several people give her odd looks, as if they realized that she didn't belong there. As if he had picked up on her concern, Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. The people here are always weary of new comers." She smiled, reassured. As they continued on, the road left the busyness of the village, and led to a quiet path dotted with bushes an the occasional tree. Suddenly, Karasu saw a bush rustle, and jumped slightly. Kakashi chuckled.

"Oh shut up…" she grumbled.

"Hey, it's a good thing to be alert like that." She crossed her arms.

"Good thing or not, you were still making fun of m-"

"Gottcha!" She let out a shriek, and in one fluid motion pulled out a kunai and faced the attacker that had just grabbed her shoulders. He was a tall black haired man wearing a green jumpsuit. Karasu would have gone further with her attack, had she not seen the playful kindness in his eyes, and the fact that Kakashi was behind her, laughing. She let herself relax, and scowled. The man started laughing as well.

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" she asked, irritated yet still on the alert. The man gave her a huge grin.

"Karasu, this is Gai, he's a friend of mine." Gai let out a hearty laugh.

"Kakashi, you know very well, that we're rivals, not friends!"

"Uh, right. We're…rivals. Anyway, Gai, this is Karasu, she's…going to be staying with me for a while." Gai looked her over.

"You aren't from around here…where are you from?" She bit her lip.

"I'm uh…from the country of Earth." Gai nodded.

"What brings you here?" he inquired.

"Oh…I, uh…"

"She's here because I invited her. She's been wanting to leave th country of Earth for a while, so I invited her to come check out life in Konoha.," Kakashi quickly said. Karasu gave him a grateful glance, he returned it with a slight nod. Gai seemed satisfied with the answer, because he didn't question her anymore. Instead, he turned his attention to Kakashi.

"Well, I came looking for you today, because I though it was high time for another competition!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Karasu had no idea what he meant, but didn't bother asking. Kakashi cocked his head to the side.

"Why exactly?"

"Why not?" Gai countered. Kakashi sighed, not in the mood to argue.

"Fine, but when I beat you, remember that this was your idea." Karasu's brow furrowed.

"Wait a second you two…" she warned. She knew full well that, at least where she came from, regular competitions were held to determine the strongest shinobi in the village, and if one chose to compete, there was no telling what their fate would be. Most of the losers were either killed, or so badly wounded, that their injuries eventually led to their death. On top of that, anyone who failed to please the crowd was imprisoned. "Kakashi…"

"Just stand back and watch Karasu,." he ordered. He and Gai stood a few feet away from one another.

"May the best man win," Gai stated. Both had a determination burning in their eyes, Gai more than Kakashi. This concerned Karasu. When one shinobi was more determined than their opponent, they were sure to win. They did a few hand signs, and Karasu held her breath, heart racing…until the competition actually started, and ended with Gai as the victor.

"Ha! I win again Kakashi!"

"Damn…oh well, I'll just have to try again next time I suppose."

"That you will rival!" Karasu clenched her fists.

"What the hell kind of competition was that? Rock, paper, scissors! That's what you two call a competition worthy of a shinobi?" she yelled. They both looked at her as if they had forgotten she was there.

"Well of course!" Gai replied. "Being a ninja isn't all about fighting you know."

"Gai's right Karasu. Being here, you'll come to learn that while strength is important to a shinobi, you also have to know how to relax, and enjoy the time you have with your comrades." She blinked.

"But, Kakashi…you're jonin, you're supposed to be…"

"An elite? Even the best need to have someone to rely on, and have fun with." Karasu stood there, mulling over their words in her head.

"Well, I should be going now, see you later Kakashi, and Karasu, it was nice meeting you!" She nodded.

"It was nice meeting you too." With that, he left, and Kakashi continued to the mountain.


	4. Chapter 4

After they had reached the top of the mountain, Kakashi had insisted that Karasu sit and rest her leg, as not to strain it. While she sat, he pointed out all of the locals of Konoha, such as the ninja academy, the Hokage's home, the market place, along with few other spots. "This place is so…amazingly perfect. I wish I could stay here forever…" she stated dreamily. Kakashi glanced down at her.

"You could you know…" he said softly. Karasu let out a grim chuckle.

"Like I said, I wish. I might be able to stay here longer than I've stayed in other places, but…eventually, she's going to show up, and I'll be on the run again," she explained.

"I'll help you fight them you know…you aren't alone here. I'm sure Gai would help too," he said, trying to reassure her. A small smile graced Karasu's features.

"Thank you…that means a lot Kakashi, but I can't allow that. I don't want anybody getting hurt for my sake, least of all you, the one who's taken me in…" Her eyes began to water. Kakashi sighed.

"I see, well…" He held out a hand to help her up. "…lets hope that you have a lot of time to spend here." Karasu looked up at him, and could clearly tell that a warm smile was hidden behind his mask. She blinked to clear her eyes, and took his hand with a smile. "Now, lets go get some lunch, and I'll show you more of Konoha." He pulled her up, and they started back down the mountain. As they walked, Kakashi pulled his book out of his pocket. Karasu cocked her head in curiosity., and peeked over his shoulder. Kakashi looked over at her, and adjusted his arm so they could both see the book. Karasu only read a few pages, before feeling her face grow warm with a crimson blush. She looked away, and pushed his arm back to where it had been. He laughed. "Not your kind of reading I take it?" She shook her head.

"No…and I'm surprised it's yours…I mean…I'm just used to Jonin being cold blooded killers, not laid back, kind hearted people that read Icha Icha books…" He closed his book.

"That's a shame…Well, if you'd like, I can take you to the bookstore after lunch. Maybe you can find something there that's more your taste, and will actually interest you." Karasu clasped her hands and grinned.

"You would really do that?" He shrugged.

"Why not?" Without thinking, Karasu threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Kakashi tensed, and looked down at her smiling, contented face, which was buried in his chest. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her head. "I didn't know you liked books so much…" She nodded, looking up at him. Suddenly, she realized what she was doing, and blushed again as she let go of him.

"Well, yeah, I love books, you have no idea what they mean to me…" she said absent mindedly, obviously reminiscing.

"Why do they mean so much to you?" She sighed.

"In my village. Books were banned, because our leader believed that they would dull our killer instincts. My parents didn't agree with that, so they would bring books home from every missing they went on. They taught us how to read and write. Books were my only escape…That's why they're so important to me." Kakashi cocked an eyebrow.

"You just said 'us'. Do you have a sibling?" Karasu just looked at the ground, eyes widened, and jaw set.

"I uh…no…just…just forget about it…" He knew she had more to tell, but he didn't press the issue, seeing just how distraught it made her.

Oh…alright then…" For the rest of the walk back down to the village, Karasu rambled on about all of the books that she had read thanks to her parents. Kakashi listened intently, with few interruptions, nodding every once in a while to show that he was paying attention. Once they reached the point on the path where the dirt mountain road met the stone paved road of the village, he just stopped, and watched her continue forward. She had the slightest bounce in her step that hadn't been there the day before, when he had first led her into Konoha. He found it intriguing that something as simple as a bit of hospitality, and a quiet village could restore even the smallest amount of hope in a girl where hope had been so far gone. He could only imagine the horrors of her old village if Konoha was the best place she had ever been. Kakashi had been too lost in his thoughts to realize that Karasu had stopped, and was now staring at him, a puzzled expression littering her green eyes.

"Um…Kakashi? Are you coming? I kind of need you to lead, it's not like I really know my way around yet…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Yes, of course, sorry about that Karasu." The two of them continued through Konoha, until Kakashi stopped in front of a small, quaint shop. He opened the door, and let Karasu in, before entering himself.

"Hey there Kakashi!" the man behind the counter, a young blonde, brown-eyed man, called. "You're usual seat's open!"

"Alright, thanks Kofuna!" Kakashi replied, and led Karasu to a booth next to a large window. They sat down across from one another.

"Wow! It smells so good in here! What do they make?" Kakashi chuckled.

"They make many different things, but I think the best thing on they're menu is the salt broiled saury and a bowl of miso soup with eggplant," he explained. Karasu's eyes lit up.

"That sounds so good!" Kofuna approached them.

"Hey there, I'm going to assume you want the usual Kakashi?" he asked with a smile. Kakashi nodded. "And who's this?"

"Oh, Kofuna, this is Karasu, she's…visiting with me." Kofuna's smile grew.

"That's wonderful! What would you like miss?"

"What he's having!" she replied eagerly. Kofuna laughed warmly.

"Alright, I'll have it out as soon as I can." With that, he walked away.

"So, Kakashi, are you and Kofuna frie-" An eerie chill suddenly overtook Karasu's entire body.

"Karasu?" She glanced around, and gasped. In the back corner of the restaurant, a figure sat, dressed in a pale green and pink cloak, their face hidden by the hood. Karasu instantly, jumped up, kunai in hand, and slid in next to Kakashi, pushing up against him as much as she could, trembling. "Karasu, what the hell has gotten into you?" She pointed at the figure.

"I…she looks like…I think it's…."

"Alright, alright, just calm down. You think that's one of the people that are after you?" She nodded slowly. "Okay…first, put this away so you don't get us kicked out," he instructed, wrapping his hand around the hand that held the kunai, and pushed it down. Karasu glanced at him, cheeks flushed, and he quickly pulled his hand off of hers. She put her weapon away. "Now, we can keep an eye on the person, if they do anything, I'll protect you, okay? It'll be alright." Karasu nodded. Kakashi put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she glared at the figure.

"If it is her…then I'm afraid this will be my last day here Kakashi…" she stated. He nodded bleakly.

"Well, aren't you two cute?" Karasu jumped as Kofuna came to their table, and set down their food. Kakashi's visible eye widened as he shook his head.

"No, it's not like…it's nothing," he stammered, and motioned with his head for Karasu to go back across the table. She did so, and nodded her thanks to Kofuna.

"Well, alright, you two enjoy your meal." With that, he walked away. The two of them ate silently, and Karasu kept casting nervous glances over her shoulder.

"Relax." Kakashi demanded. "Look, the person is leaving anyway. They haven't even so much as looked over here. I'm sure you'll be fine." Karasu looked, and saw the person getting up. She eyed the person as they left, and her muscles loosened the moment they were out the door. They finished eating, and Kakashi left the money on the table. As they were walking out the door, Kofuna stopped them.

"Hey Kakashi, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked.

"Oh, sure, hold on a minute." He led Karasu outside. "See that green building a couple of doors down?" She nodded. "That's the bookstore. You can head in, I'll be right there."

"Alright,' she said agreeably. Kakashi gave her a smile, and headed back into Kofuna's shop. Karasu cast a quick, anxious glance around the street, but saw nothing that set her on the alert, so she headed towards the book store. By the time she had several of her favorite books picked out, Kakashi entered the store. She ran up to him, holding her stack of books out. "Is this to many?" He sighed.

"What happened to 'you're here as a prisoner'?" he asked. She looked down.

"Oh…right…sorry. I'll go put these back…" He shook his head.

"No, you can get them…I think you've been a prisoner your whole life, take this opportunity to live freely." She blinked, then smiled.

"Thank you Kakashi…" They paid for her books, and left.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been nearly two weeks since Karasu had first arrived in Konoha. Since then, Kakashi had introduced her to many of the citizens, who had all given her a warm welcome. She didn't know what it was about the place that made her feel like she would never have a bad day again, but that was exactly how she felt. Maybe it was the beautiful location of the village. She had grown to love the woods that surrounded Konoha, since she and Kakashi would go there everyday, either to train, or just to take a peaceful walk. Perhaps it was the excited bustling that ran throughout Konoha, making the village seem so alive, a huge contrast from her old village. She thought maybe it could be the constant presence of the sun or moon, since she hadn't seen a single foreboding cloud since she had been there. There was one more reason that Karasu had considered, and that was Kakashi. Kakashi had cone nothing but guide Karasu. He always greeted her with a smile, and he was always able to make her laugh. She didn't know what it was, but Kakashi made her forget all of the pain that had been welling inside of her. She sat up on the couch, stretching, and pushing her thoughts aside. She got up, and happily walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Ka…ka…shi?" Karasu, glanced around the small kitchen, though she knew it wasn't big enough to hide in. She began to worry. Every morning, Kakashi was up before her, waiting in the kitchen. He would greet her with a cheerful 'good morning' and give her breakfast, a hot bowl of ramen. The walked through the house. "Kakashi? Kakashi, are you here?" she called. No answer. "Oh no…: Karasu muttered. She remembered the figure that she had seen her first day out on the town with Kakashi. That threat had been sitting in recession at the back of her mind, slowly fading, but know, it was coming back with a painful bite. "No, no, no, no, no!" she repeated over and over again, panicking. Karasu ran all over town, asking around for Kakashi, the pit in her stomach growing deeper and larger. For each person she asked, the answer was about the same.

"No, haven't seen him, sorry."

"I'm surprised he's not with you, you two have been attached at the hi ever since you showed up."

"I haven't heard from him, but if I now Kakashi, he's not in any danger, so don't sweat it kid." Frustrated, but not ready to give up, Karasu went to the bridge that led into the woods in an attempt to relax. She leaned on the railing, staring down into the crystal clear water.

"Damnit…where are you Kakashi?" she muttered. Suddenly, she saw a figure reflected in the water. She quickly looked up into the tree, but there was nobody there. She glanced back at the water, but the reflection was gone. She sighed. "Great, now I've lost my mind…" After she calmed down as much as she figured she could, Karasu headed towards Kofuna's small restaurant. It had been closed for several days, but she figured that Kofuna could still be there. When she got to the building, she peeked into the windows, which were darkened. A scowl of disappointment pulled the corners of her lips down slightly, but then she realized that there was a light on in the back kitchen. She pulled away from the window, and pushed the door open, happy to see that it was unlocked. As she walked in, a strange smell tickled her nose. "Kofuna? Kakashi? Are either of you here?" she asked. She walked towards the kitchen door, and the smell grew stronger, forcing Karasu to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She hadn't remembered this smell in the restaurant. Before, it had smelled pleasantly sweet, yet savory, and mouth wateringly delicious. She pushed the door open, but immediately stepped back, gagging. A blast of stench had hit her the moment she cracked the door open. The smell was rotten, and putrid, and Karasu found it disturbingly familiar, but she couldn't quite figure out why. She took a deep breath, used her hand to shield her mouth and nose from the offensive odor, and pushed the door open again. She glanced around, and spotted what the smell was coming from. She let out a high pitched, blood curdling scream, as she stepped back, and almost tripped over a bag of rice. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes began watering. Kofuna's dull, lifeless brown eyes stared at her, along with the beady black eyes of several large rats, who had just had their meal interrupted. The ends of his pale blonde hair were tangled with dark brown clumps of long dried blood from his slit throat. Several shuriken and kunai were protruding from his chest. Based on the smell, and looks of his skin, which was beginning to turn green with decay, he had been dead for at least a week. Karasu realized why the smell had seem so eerily familiar. It was the reek of death, a smell she had grown used to at a young age. Unable to handle the sight or the stench any longer, Karasu ran from the shop, and collapsed into a sobbing heap outside the door. "W-why…why him…why now…" she cried to herself. She cried, and cried, until she couldn't her her jittery nerves overtook her. She finally stood up, wiping her eyes, but in vain. It hit her that there was one place that she hadn't checked for Kakashi, the one place he had said was his favorite. After finding Kofuna, Karasu was even more desperate to find Kakashi. She took off, running as fast as she could towards the woods. When she finally burst into a clearing, she saw him, standing as still as a statue, staring down at a memorial for all of Konoha's shinobi that had been killed in action. "Kakashi!" she yelled, overflowing with relief, tears still streaming from her eyes. He turned, his masked face revealing his shock, just in time for Karasu to barrel into him.

"Karasu! What's wrong?" he asked in alarm, after regaining his balance, and putting a hesitant, yet comforting arm around her in return for her tight hug.

"Y-you idiot!" she cried into his chest. "I-I've been lo-looking everyw-where for y-you! I-I was so w-worried th-that something h-happened to you!" He looked down at her with a small, hidden smile.

"Calm down, I'm alright, see? What possibly could have happened?" She clenched a fist full of his clothes.

"You could have ended up like Kofuna…" she said in a near whisper, trying not to imagine Kakashi laying dead the way Kofuna had been. His brow furrowed.

"What was that?"

"You could have ended up like Kofuna!" she screamed. His eye widened.

"What happened? Karasu, what happened to Kofuna?" he demanded.

"He…he's dead…he's dead Kakashi! He has been for days…I just found him in his shop while I was looking for you…" Kakashi stood in a shocked, and sorrowful silence.

"Karasu…I'm so sorry…" She suddenly jerked away from him, pushing him back. She glared at Kakashi.

"Why the hell are you apologizing to me?" she snapped. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me! You should be apologizing to Kofuna! If you had just sent me away from Konoha, o-or killed me, then…" She fell to her knees. "No…It's my fault…I shouldn't have stayed…I should have left as soon as I had the chance…I shouldn't have even come."

"Karasu, listen, nobody will blame you, it's not your fault," Kakashi said, trying to reason with her.

"Yes it is! She…I know it was her…" she said, shaking her head.

"We have no proof!" Karasu lifted her head to look up at him.

"You think I don't know how she kills? That was no common amateur burglary, it was an assassin's work, but not just any assassin…no…I know it was her…it was too clean to be anyone but her…she was trained to hunt, and cut down anything that got in her way as quickly as possible." Kakashi kneeled down in front of Karasu.

"So even if it was her, you're not to blame…and, who is 'she'? You keep talking about her, but-" There was a light thud on the ground behind her, and Karasu immediately recognized it as the sound of feet landing on the ground. She whipped around, and was met by a cruel green eyed stare.

"So Karasu…this is who you've come running to? Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja…I might need to bring in a couple of reinforcements," the girl noted, flipping her brown hair out of her face.

"N-Nikurashii…" Karasu murmured. The girl let out a cold, high pitched laugh.

"So you do remember me! Come on…Zetsubo village is so quiet with you, it's almost boring! Look, if you come back with me, you might be allowed to live, as a slave of course, but you'd be alive!" she said, her eyes giving away the slightest bit of insanity. Kakashi stood, and stepped in front of Karasu.

"What kind of monster would make one of her own people a slave?" Kakashi hissed.

"You may call us monsters, but we have our reasons. You see our little village doesn't have the money it needs to sustain itself, so, the weak are weeded out, and made into slaves. You seem strong, if you want to protect that piece of trash, you can join her, I'm sure you'd be of great use." Karasu glared daggers at the girl.

"Why…why the hell did you kill an innocent man?" Karasu demanded. She scoffed.

"Why? Well, he wasn't giving me the information I needed, so…" She ran her index finger across her neck.

"Karasu…who the hell is this?" Nikurashii laughed again.

"You mean you haven't even bothered to tell the man about me? And I thought you loved me…Karasu, don't you even care about your own sister?" Kakashi's eye widened.

"Sister…?" Kakashi repeated. Karasu stood slowly, teeth gritted.

"No…you aren't my sister…the sister I had was ready to give her life to see Zetsubo become a peaceful village…she would never become one of Bokun's dogs…" she growled. The brunette girl shrugged.

"Look sis, I tried to convince you to move on, but you stayed adamant, now look where that got you." She leapt back into the tree. "Well, I'm not even going to try to take the two of you on alone, but you'd better be ready Karasu! This isn't going to be over until you're dead!" With that, she jumped through the trees, and was gone. Kakashi turned to face Karasu, who looked at the ground to avoid his gaze.

"Come on, we have to tell someone about Kofuna, then we'll go home, and you're going to tell me every detail this time." His voice wasn't filled with anger, or disappointment like Karasu had thought it would be, instead, his voice gave way to a hint of concern.


	6. Chapter 6

Karasu sat, staring into her bowl of hot ramen, lacking an appetite, and not in the mood to eat. Kakashi sat across the table from her, his dark eyed gaze boring into her. "Well Karasu? I need you to explain the whole thing to me." She took a deep shuddering breath.

"In my village, Zetsubo, every child is forced in to the beginning of their ninja training at the age of five. At the age of six, the exceptionally skilled, or in the leader's eyes, the most blood thirsty, children go on to be trained as assassins, instead of mere warriors. The rest of us continued our training under harsh instruction. Though I knew It would be rough, I was eager to become a shinobi, so I could follow in my parents footsteps, and fight to make Zetsubo a better place, however… my younger sister, Nikurashii wanted nothing to do with it, after seeing the injuries I would come home with just from practice. She thought it was useless, and reckless violence, and she refused to give up her time and effort for it. My parents graciously accepted that, as did I. We tried to keep her a secret as long as we could. She wasn't allowed to leave the house, or see her friends like a normal girl. Finally, one day she became restless, tired of staying in that house for years, only getting fresh air in the cover of darkness. At the age of ten, she was thrown, against her will, into training. She was pushed harder than all of the others because of her late start. She hated them with a burning passion, and I vowed to get her, and my parents away from that place, and fight them myself. She of course refused, and said that we would fight them together. Now, my parents were active revolutionists, but they were also a couple of the most skilled shinobi in the village. Bokun, our equivalent of your Hokage, was a coward, and didn't even bother trying to stop them…" Karasu's eyes began watering, but she blinked her tears back.

"So…how did Nikurashii become the heartless girl I just met?" Kakashi pressed.

"Well, as long as my parents were still alive, and strong, Nikurashii and myself were safe, and free to act against Bokun without fear of serious punishments. The most we had to worry about was a slap on the wrist. Bokun, of course, wanted my parents dead, and out of his hair, but he wasn't willing to get his hands dirty. No, he decided to take the lowest route he could have, and make it appear to be an accident. About a year ago…they were sent on a special mission by Bokun. By the details, the mission was obviously suicide. My parents were honorable Shinobi though, and they went anyway. Of course…that mission was…" She closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks, and her voice caught in her throat.

"It was their last…" Kakashi finished for her. She nodded. He put a hand on hers. "Can you finish?" she nodded again.

"After news came to us that they were dead, Nikurashii and I were devastated…We were given two options…" She bit her lip, trying to keep her voice steady, and un-quivering.

"What were those options?" he urged gently.

"The option that I took was to continue fighting, and as a result of that decision, I was imprisoned, and waiting for a death sentence. Of course, I was able to escape." Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Nikurashii took the second option, which was to give up her fight, and be trained as one of Bokun's elite assassins. Her training killed the Nikurashii I once knew. It drove her to and over the brink of insanity, and she lost everything that once made her who she was…" Karasu finished.

"So, is her insanity the reason she was sent to kill you, or was it the fact that you were her sister?" Karasu shook her head.

"Neither…I wasn't completely honest with you actually…when I escaped, Bokun didn't actually care, since I would no longer be in Zetsubo causing disturbances. It was Nikurashii that cared, and wanted me hunted down, and killed. She chased me on her accord, bringing the men that just enjoyed the thrill of the chase…" she explained, trembling. Kakashi closed his eye with a sigh.

"Tomorrow morning you and I will be leaving Konoha. I can make all of the necessary preparations here this evening. Meanwhile, I need you to go out and buy some things." Karasu blinked.

"B-but why?" He shrugged.

"I don't have enough food to sustain the both of us, especially since we have no idea of how long we'll be gone," he said. She shook her head.

"No, I mean, why leave?"

"Oh. Well, she said she would be bringing reinforcements, which are probably the men she brought with her, so they won't be far from here. I'd rather not take the chance of Konoha getting involved in all of this. We have many skilled shinobi here, but none of them will be prepared for a battle on such short notice." Karasu grunted.

"That's not what I meant either you idiot!" she snapped.

"Then what did you mean?" She pulled her hand away from his, and crossed her arms.

"I think you know what I meant," she stated.

"I don't know, why don't you clarify?" he asked, being difficult, and trying to avoid answering the question. She sighed.

"Why are you leaving? Why don't you just let me go alone? You have a wonderful home, you shouldn't leave it behind for my sake…" It was his turn to let out a sigh.

"Karasu…you need to understand, that even though it's only been a couple weeks, and in all technicalities, you've been my prisoner, you're a friend now. Not just to me, but to every one you've met. This village needs a person like you. We aren't running from Konoha, we're simply taking this fight elsewhere. Once it's all over, you and I will return to our home. You said it your self, the day we met, no honorable shinobi leaves one of his own, ever." She stared at him.

"O…our home? You mean…?" He nodded. "Kakashi…" He stood up.

"Aright, enough with the sentimentalities," he said. "Like I said, I need you to go shopping. Buy whatever you think will be helpful, and be careful. If your sister shows up, come straight here." Karasu nodded. "Good, now go." She got up, and left. As she walked through the market, absent mindedly looking around, and buying random articles of food, she contemplated many things, and finally came to a decision. If Konoha was truly her home now, it was her job to keep it safe from the problems she had brought to it. It was her job, and her job alone. She couldn't, no…wouldn't allow Kakashi to put himself in danger to stop what she had caused.

"Hey Karasu!" a shop keeper called, waving her over, snapping her out of her thoughts. She smiled, and walked over.

"Hello!"

"Hey, I'm having a great sale on amai kaniku fruits today, would you like some? I know you love them!" She smiled, but politely shook her head.

"No thank you, not today…" she thought for a moment. "I think I'll get some as reward to myself if I return," she decided. "Thank you anyway!" She walked away, leaving the shop keeper confused, and curious. After she had returned, Kakashi looked through everything she had had bought, and approved.

"Alright, we're getting up bright and early tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep. That goes for you as well, you're going to need a lot of rest." She nodded.

"Of course, I'm tired anyway." Kakashi put a hand on her head for a moment, then went to his room without a word. Karasu laid down on the couch, and waited. She laid there until a couple of hours after dark, just to be safe, and got up. She took a deep breath, and headed for the door, with nothing but her weapons. As she stepped into the cool night air, she looked up and down the road to make sure nobody was there, before heading towards the woods, out of Konoha.

"You weren't even going to say goodbye?" Karasu jumped, as a voice came unexpectedly from an ally.

"Kakashi! I-I…" He sighed.

"I won't stop you from doing this on your own, but…I want you to know that it's a stupid idea, that only a stubborn, thick headed idiot would go through with." Karasu chuckled.

"I guess I'm a stubborn, thick headed idiot then…" She looked at the ground. "But at least…I've finally found something that can motivate me to turn, and fight my sister…I've finally found a reason to stop running…I need to do this alone, not just for your sake, but my sake as well…"

"I was afraid you'd say that…oh well, I guess I should have known that I couldn't change your mind…" He held something out. "Here, in case you get hungry." Karasu took it, and realized that it was an amai kaniku fruit. She cupped her hands around it with a small, sad smile.

"Thank you Kakashi…" she murmured.

"If you don't mind me asking…what exactly is your motivation?" She blinked, unsure of how to answer his question, because she wasn't even completely sure of the answer herself.

"I…I guess it's…" She took a couple steps until she was right in front of him. "Well, part of it is Konoha, and all of the wonderful people, but the other part is.." Without thinking, she slowly reached up, and hooked her fingers on the side of Kakashi's mask. He quickly flinched away in shock. She pulled her hand away, but didn't put it down. Instead, she cupped the side of Kakashi's face, and brought her face close to his. She could feel his jaw tense, and his breath was staggered due to his surprise. "The other part is you…" she whispered softly, and kissed his masked cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can…" she said, pulled away, and ran off. Kakashi watched her go, putting a hand to where her lips had been, Kofuna's words a couple of days before his death ringing through his head.

"_You know, that girl's good for you. I think she's what you've needed." Kakashi laughed, shaking his head._

"_No, she's the one that needs me." It was Kofuna's turn to laugh. _

"_Trust me Kakashi, you need her a lot more than she needs you…" _


	7. Chapter 7

Karasu walked through the woods with no idea of where she should start looking for her sister, but she was sure that Nikurashii had already discovered that she had left Konoha, and was now tracking her. If Karasu couldn't find Nikurashii, Nikurashii was sure to find her. She had been walking for ours, and the east was beginning to glow with a pale yellow and orange hue because of the sunrise. Karasu sighed, remembering the day that Kakashi woke her up before the morning had even dawned, to take her up to the Hokage mountain to watch the sun rise over Konoha. It had been beautiful, and was made even better by Kakashi's presence. Her stomach let out a growl, interrupting her thoughts, and making her realize just how hungry she was. She moaned, not wanting to lose time by stopping to eat, but she knew all too well that she wouldn't be able to fight skillfully on an empty stomach. She found a nice tall tree, climbed up it, and relaxed on one of the branches, satisfied that she was well hidden. She pulled out on of her kunai, and the amai kaniku fruit that Kakashi had given her, and began peeling the bitter, spiny purple skin off of it. When the juicy, pale purple, almost pink flesh was revealed, Karasu smiled to herself, eager to take a bite of the sweet fruit. As she dug her teeth it to the fruit, the juice dripping down her chin, she felt a quick rush of air, and heard a dull thunk next to her ear. She stopped in the middle of chewing, and looked over to see a shuriken embedded in the tough bark of the tree beside her head. She swallowed her bite, and looked around, kunai at the ready. Several more shuriken flew up at her from the ground below. She deflected each one with ease, making it clear that Nikurashii wasn't the on attacking. If it had been her, the first shuriken wouldn't have missed. Karasu begrudgingly threw away her fruit, and hopped down from the tree, branch by branch, as quickly as she could. When she hit the ground, she saw no one. She glanced around, wary and alert. She heard a rustle of leaves behind her, and quickly whipped around, blocking her enemy's fist. The man's eyes widened, revealing his surprise.

"You made me waste my food…" she growled, then, in one fluid motion, pulled her kunai off of her belt, and slashed it across the man's chest. He gagged and fell backwards, blood pouring from the gash. Karasu eyed the trees, a bad feeling creeping in the pit of her stomach. She knew that there had to be more. "Alright, come out!" she demanded. She spotted a bush moving, and threw two shuriken at it. There was an agonized yelp, and the girl fell from the bush, and glared up at Karasu.

"You aren't going to get away!" the girl snapped. Though her voice was weak, it still had a bite to it. Karasu threw a third shuriken, hitting a pressure point on the girl's back. Several men came from behind Karasu, letting out an aggressive cry. Karasu spun, landing a round house kick to the first man's jaw, the snap of a bone breaking resounding throughout the woods. She then punched one of the men in the stomach, and stabbed the other with a kunai. She spun her Kunai around her index finger, ready to throw it at the fourth man, but a fifth man used a whip to wrap around her wrist, causing her to drop the weapon.

"Damnit…" she hissed. She grabbed the section of whip near her hand, and pulled. The man gasped as he was dragged a few feet, then hit the ground. Karasu turned to knock the guy out, but was surprised to see a woman who had been standing directly behind her. The woman quickly landed a powerful kick to Karasu's gut, before she could have a chance to react. Her breath left her lungs as her back slammed into the ground. She sat up, panting, trying to catch her breath, only to have a kunai graze her shoulder. She took in a sharp breath, biting back the initial pain, waiting for it to fade.

"Alright, now!" one of the men ordered. Karasu's eyes widened.

"Huh?" Someone hit her back down, pinning her with their foot, and tying her wrists behind her back. Karasu struggled, but the woman who had restrained her let out a cruel laugh.

"So Ushinawa, what's it feel like to be chased down like a mangy animal? It can't be fun since you're so heavily out numbered!" She laughed again, but suddenly choked, and collapsed. Karasu sat up, and saw several shuriken protruding from her back.

"If that's the case, then why don't we even it up a bit?" Karasu gasped.

"Kakashi! What the hell are you doing here?" He ran at a couple of the men, cutting them down.

"I'll explain later, right now we have some more pressing matters!" She smiled. One of the women ran towards Karasu, metal claws ripping her fingers. Karasu got into a crouching position, balancing expertly on the balls of her feet. At exactly the right moment, she sprung up, driving her knee into the girls chin. She landed gracefully, waiting for others to come at her. When three men ran at her, she smirked. She kicked the first, fell back into the second, using his fumma shuriken to cut the ropes that bound her wrists, then hitting him, and taking the weapon, slashing both him, and the third man with it. With no more enemies to take on, Karasu looked to see how Kakashi was holding up. He was standing upside down on a tree branch, while a man and a woman tried to figure out how to get to him. They resorted to throwing shuriken and kunai. He avoided all but the two that he managed to catch. He closed his eye, dropped, flipping, and slashing the two enemy shinobi with their own weapons. They fell, and Kakashi looked at Karasu with a smile. All of Karasu's attackers were now either dead, or they had run off. She just stared at Kakashi for a moment, then ran over to him, and threw her arms around him. For the first time, he returned her hug without the slightest bit of hesitation. When they pulled away from one another, Karasu scowled.

"Why are you here? What if you had gotten hurt?" she questioned. He raised an eyebrow, eyeing the several gashes that Karasu had along her body.

"If I hadn't shown up, you'd be dead, or on your way to death," he countered. "Now, lets find someplace safe to get your wounds cleaned up, and while we do that, I'll explain why I followed you." She nodded, and followed Kakashi off of the path, to a river that was a little ways away. They took a seat on a large rock, and Kakashi began rummaging through his bag, pulling out all of the medical supplies.

"So…why are you here?" Kakashi didn't answer until he had everything laid out.

"Well, I couldn't just let you go off and get yourself killed, could I?" he asked, cleaning the cuts on her arms.

"I didn't ask you to help…besides, you said-"

"I know what I said…but…" Karasu looked at him with an imploring expression.

"But…?" He didn't say anything, instead he went on quietly cleaning and dressing her cuts. "Hello! Earth to Kakashi! Don't just ignore me, answer me!" he sighed.

"You said you found your motivation…" Karasu flushed bright red, remembering her conversation with Kakashi before she had left, and what she had do.

"Y-yeah…so what…" she mumbled.

"It made me realize something…Kofuna said something to me the day you met him, that I just couldn't wrap y brain around, but…last night, when you said you found your motivation, and you…It made his words click, and I understood…" She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her

"Karasu…I…I…" He shook his head. "Nevermind…" Even though he had dismissed his thoughts, Karasu still had a good feeling about what he was getting at. She reached up, and like the night before, hooked her fingers on his face mask. Like the night before, he flinched, but not as much. She was about to pull it down, but stopped herself.

"May I?" she asked softly. He just looked at her, his eyes betraying his shock. Slowly, and reluctantly, he nodded. Karasu rolled the face mask down, and for the first time revealed his features. He had a perfect nose, and a strong, handsome jaw line, but what Karasu focused on was his lips. His flawless lips. She cupped his face in her hands, and slowly brought her face towards his. When their noses were touching, she stopped, unsure of how he would react. To her surprise, he was the one to close the space between them. When their lips met, Karasu felt the pain of her past completely melt away to be replaced by the pleasure and bliss of the moment. Their lips moved together, gently, in perfect unison, as he wrapped his arms around Karasu's waist, while her arms wound around his neck. Slowly the kiss escalated, becoming rougher and more passionate, until she found herself laying on the rock, with Kakashi over her. It was then that they pulled away, and stared at each other. "Kakashi…I…"

"I love you too Karasu…" They both smiled at each other. "We…we should probably get moving…" he said.

"Oh…right…" Karasu said, disappointed. They both sat up, Kakashi put the medical supplies away, and pulled his mask back up, and they began back towards the path. "Hey Kakashi…you said Kofuna said something…what exactly did he say?" Kakashi glanced down at her.

"Oh. Well, he said that I needed you more than you'd ever need me…which I suppose is somewhat true…" Karasu just smiled.

"Oh, I don't know about that…"


	8. Chapter 8

Karasu woke, shivering from the chilly morning air, and the dampness of her clothes. She sat up, stretching, her back stiff from the uncomfortable position she had slept on the tree branch in. She looked up, and saw that gloomy, gray clouds were forming a thick, depressing blanket over the sky. She took a breath, and could smell the inevitable rain that the day would soon bring. She sighed.

"Great…just what I need." She glanced around, trying to find Kakashi. She looked down at the forest floor, expecting to see him, but didn't. She furrowed her brow. "Not again…" She was about to hop down, but a voice startled her.

"Looking for something?" She let out a small yelp, and turned to see him hanging upside down from the branch above her. "Good morning Karasu!' he said with a cheerful smile that, though hidden behind his mask, brightened the gloomy morning.

"Don't scare me like that!" she snapped, though wasn't able to hide her amused smile. He laughed.

"It's not my fault that you're so easily frightened." He dropped to the branch below her. "Now come on. I let you sleep, so we really need to get moving before they find us." Karasu frowned.

"I know, but…if they don't find us, I have no idea how we're even going to fight them…I don't know where Nikurashii has set up base," she explained.

"We don't need to know, I've been following the scent ever since we ran into them a couple of days ago," he said, matter of factly. Karasu blinked, and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"You've been…following the…scent? What the hell are you, a dog?" He chuckled.

"Well, not quite. I'm not a dog, but…" he pushed his mask down so he could put his thumb and index finger between his lips, and whistled. Suddenly there was a cacophony of barking, and paws pounding against the ground. A small pack of dogs arrived at the base of the tree, looking up expectantly. "These are my Ninken, they've been tracking the scent for us. All eight of them are very reliable." Karasu stared at the dogs, then at Kakashi, and back at the dogs.

"Were you ever going to bother telling me that you had a pack of dogs that were leading us to my sister?" she questioned. He just scratched the back of his head, shrugging. "Wait a second…you just said you have eight dogs…there are only seven down there," she stated, turning to look at Kakashi, and sighing in exasperation when she saw that a small pug was sitting on top of his head. He pointed to him.

"This little guy's Pakkun. He's my best tracker." The dog lifted a paw, as if in greeting.

"Hello, nice to meet you," it said surprisingly gruff voice for his size. Karasu pointed, mouth agape.

"I-it can talk!" she exclaimed. The dog stuck it's nose in the air, looking away from Karasu.

"Kakashi, you have a bad habit of hanging around rude people," the dog stated.

"Pakkun's right you know, that was rude. He's not an it, he has a name," he scolded. Karasu's eye twitched

"Alright, whatever, sorry Pakkun…can we just get going?" Kakashi nodded, and leapt down from the tree, and Karasu followed suit. When she got down, the dogs had already taken off.

"Pakkun says we're getting close…he said we could probably even be there by today." Karasu nodded, and Kakashi rested a hand on her arm. "Are you sure you'll be aright fighting your sister? If we get there, and the fight starts, and you find that you can't do it…well, we'll be in trouble." Karasu bit her lip, and nodded.

"If you had asked me that before Kofuna was killed, I would have said I wasn't ready, but…this is for him, and all of Konoha, and you…" Kakashi smiled, and hugged Karasu to him, placing a masked kiss on the top of her head.

"You're a brave girl…come on, lets go." He let go of her, and, and the started down the path. As they walked, Karasu kept an eye on the foreboding sky, hoping that the clouds would go away. The last thing she wanted was to fight her sister in the rain. She knew that rain would make it difficult to see, and the mud would make the ground slippery. Her moves would be clumsy, and Nikurashii was sure to have the upper hand. She glanced at Kakashi. Despite the problems the potential rain would cause her, she didn't want Kakashi getting involved. If he got hurt, or even worse, killed, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. "Is something wrong?" Kakashi asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Oh, I just…Kakashi…I really don't want you getting involved in this fight. If something happened…I mean, I'm not even planning on killing Nikurashii, I just want to defeat her…but if something happened to you, the plan would change…I don't want to lose you and my sister." He closed his eye, and sighed.

"Do you remember, the day we met a few weeks ago…I was training a group of genin." Karasu nodded.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"That was their first test. They had just graduated from the academy, and I was assigned as their instructor. As their instructor, I had to test them to see if they were even capable of being true ninja. They were not, so I failed them. I have failed every student that was ever assigned to me. Do you know why that is?" Karasu shook her head. "Teamwork. They lacked the basic understanding that if you are in a group, you must work together to keep yourself, and on another safe. If you had been one of my students, you would have failed just like all of the others." Karasu blinked.

"But…"

"But nothing, we're fighting this together." Karasu frowned.

"A-alright…" she said in surrender. They continued on for a couple of hours, until they saw Pakkun walking towards them. Kakashi crouched down to talk to him.

"What did you find?" he inquired.

"Just up ahead, there's a river. The scent ends a little ways beyond the other side of the river. There, we found a large group of people that match the scent." Kakashi scratched Pakkun's head.

"Good. Do you have an estimate on the number people there?" He shook his head.

"We aren't sure, but one thing is for sure, it's too many for you two to take on alone." Kakashi scowled.

"Just try us, I'm sure we'll be fine." Karasu bit her lip.

"Kakashi…"

"I'll be fine, but if you're so unsure…Pakkun, take the others, and go back to Konoha as fast as you can. Find Might Gai, and lead him here." Pakkun nodded. Karasu clenched her fists.

"Wait! Kakashi, that's not what I wanted! Don't go getting Gai involved!" Kakashi ignored her demand.

"Karasu and I will camp around here until you get back. Do you know how long it might take you to get there and back?" Pakkun thought.

"Alone, we can get back to Konoha late tonight, and with Gai…the earliest I can promise is tomorrow night, or the next morning." Kakashi's brown furrowed, but he nodded.

"Alright." With that, Pakkun let out a howl, and took off. A moment later, the other seven dogs thundered past. Karasu turned on Kakashi, glowering at him, her mood becoming as dark and cloudy as the sky above them.

"If Gai gets hurt…" she started, trying to sound threatening, but only succeeding in sounding anxious.

"He'll be fine. It may be easy to forget sometimes, but he is a jonin," he said calmly, trying to get Karasu to lighten up.

"I don't give a damn whether or not he's a Jonin!" she snapped "Hell, it's bad enough that you're getting yourself involved! You didn't have to involve Gai! He doesn't even know what we're up against!" Kakashi crossed his arms.

"As a capable shinobi, he should be able to deduce the enemy's tactics."

"You seem to be forgetting that my village doesn't rely much on strategy, just brutality!"

"And you seem to be forgetting that that doesn't matter. He's your friend, and in our village, friends don't leave friends behind." Karasu let out a frustrated huff, and Kakashi grabbed her shoulders. "Hey, relax, you can't get all worked up like this." She leaned on him. And took a deep breath.

"Alright…" she sighed. "It's just…"

"You've seen the people that you care about die, and you don't want to see it again…" She nodded. "I understand that feeling, and that's why I won't allow you to fight alone."

"But, you just said you understand my feelings!" He chuckled.

"Just because I said that Konoha was your home now, doesn't mean I ever released you as my prisoner. Remember what I said? I make th rules, and you'll follow them without a complaint." Karasu groaned. "Don't worry, you'll be free after this battle."

"Fine…that just means that you have to promise to make it through this battle."

"It's a promise."


	9. Chapter 9

Karasu sat up, her sopping wet hair hanging in her face. The down pour had begun in the middle of setting up a shelter. By the time they had finished, it was completely pointless. Kakashi sighed, and stood.

"Gai should be here soon, are you ready?" Karasu nodded.

" As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, also getting to her feet. Kakashi pulled her into a warm embrace, and she pulled his mask down to reach his lips. As they kissed, something suddenly grabbed Karasu by the shoulders. She shrieked, and whipped around, only to find Gai doubled over in hysterics.

"That never gets old!" he laughed.

"What the hell is your problem?" she snapped.

"Alright you two, we need to keep quiet," Kakashi scolded. Karasu scowled, and Gai's laughter slowed, then ended. "Good, now, if we're all ready, , let's get a move on." Karasu and Gai nodded, and they headed out. Gai and Kakashi walked behind Karasu.

"So Kakashi, what are we up against?" Gai asked, a serious tone entering his voice.

"Highly skilled assassins from Karasu's village, Zetsubo. The girl that's leading them… unless something unexpected happens, leave her to Karasu. For her, this is more than a fight for survival. It's a fight for freedom…and a fight to save her sister's sanity." Gai nodded.

"What about you? This isn't a fight for survival for you either, is it?" Gai questioned. Kakashi's eye widened slightly.

"Well, I guess not. I'm fighting to protect Konoha." Gai chuckled.

"And Karasu? From what I saw, you're thinking more about her than the village. I never thought you'd have it in you to fall in love. I guess I'll just have to beat you by finding a better girl." Kakashi laughed.

"I don't think you- Karasu, stop!" he demanded in a harsh whisper. She stopped in her tracks, and stood, braced for an attack.

"What is it?" Kakashi and Gai walked up beside her slowly.

"They must know we're coming…there's an ambush up ahead." Karasu's brow furrowed.

"How do you know?" He nodded towards the ground.

"There are footprints in the mud that the rain hasn't completely washed away yet, and…"

"The smell of blood…" Karasu finished. Kakashi nodded.

"We'll continue, and let them think that they still have the element of surprise. Just be ready, and try to keep light on your toes." Karasu nodded, and the three of them continued on, braced for an attack at any moment. As they passed through a particularly dense section of trees, Gai suddenly whipped around, dodging kunai.

"We've got company!"

"Now!" someone ordered. With that, a small army of shinobi burst from the trees and bushes. Karasu whipped out two kunai, and Kakashi lifted his head band, revealing the crimson red and black sharingan. The two of them stood back to back as the enemy shinobi surrounded them like a pack of murderous wolves.

"Karasu…don't be reckless." She nodded.

"You be careful,' she replied. They leapt into the fight. Several men and women ran at Karasu. She grabbed the first by the wrist, flipping him over, and knocking him out. She quickly spun, slitting the second man's throat. As the third, a woman, ran at her, she blocked her dagger. The woman smirked.

"My my, your sister was right, you are skilled, but you won't be able to take on all of us, especially not your sister." Karasu let out a growl.

"Where is she?" she hissed. "Where the hell is Nikurashii?" The woman cackled.

"Why would I tell you?" Irritated, Karasu kicked the woman to the ground, and killed her with her own dagger. As Karasu fought her own battles, Gai fought his. He opted out of using ninjutsu, preferring to use taijutsu instead. Using brute strength, he kicked several shinobi down, then spun throwing several shuriken that embedded themselves in his enemies chests. One of the men came at him, fists curled, ready to land a powerful punch, but Gai grabbed his fist.

"Now, why don't you just leave this poor girl alone?" The man laughed.

"Now that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" Gai scowled.

"You bastards are all bark and no bite." With that, he kicked the man in the stomach, sending him backwards to slam against a tree. Suddenly, there was a shout.

"Gai, watch out!" He whipped around. "Lightning blade!" There was a blue flash of electricity, and Gai's attacker fell backwards, dead.

"Thanks Kakashi!" He nodded.

"Be careful," he stated, and turned to continue fighting. A large group of people were closing in on Kakashi. He sighed, and closed his eyes. "The river's a little far, but it's worth a shot…" he muttered. He began rapidly forming a procession of hand signs.

"Just give up and let us have Ushinawa, and you two will be left alone," one of the men tried to reason. As he made the last two hand signs, Kakashi opened his eyes to glare at the men.

"Let me fill you in on something…I will never give up a comrade, especially when it's the girl I love!" he snapped.

"Don't say we didn't give you a ch-"

"Water style, water dragon jutsu!" The man let out a terrified scream as a huge watery beast burst from the river that was just behind a cluster of trees. It crashed down on them with the forces of a huge ocean wave, knocking most of the men out, but to Kakashi's dismay, making the already muddy terrain even more so.

"Kakashi, that was incredible!" Karasu exclaimed.

"It was just a simple jutsu. Be careful now, it's going to be extra slick after that," he warned. She nodded, scanning the trees for any sight of her sister. Suddenly, a shuriken sliced through her waist. She yelped in pain.

"Are you looking for me Kara-onee chan?" Nikurashii asked mockingly. Karasu whipped around to see her sister approaching her from behind one of the trees.

"Nikurashii! This is it, I'm done running!"

"Good, then comeback with me!" Karasu shook her head.

"I won't. I'm staying in Konoha, with the people that actually care about me, like Gai and Kakashi! I am going to continue living happily for mom, dad, and Kofuna!" Nikurashii's face contorted with a sneer.

"Fine, I'll just bring you back by force!" She ran at, then past Karasu, grazing her arm with a kunai. As she attempted to avoid the kunai, she slipped in the mud. Before her back could hit the ground, strong arms caught her. Kakashi helped her back to her feet, and brushed the wet hair, that had been plastered to her face by the rain, away from her eyes.

"Damnit…" she hissed, as she saw Nikurashii disappear into the woods.

"Karasu, you go after your sister, Gai and I will be fine here."

"But…"

"Go!" He placed a quick, masked kiss on the top of her head, then pushed her gently in the direction Nikurashii had went. She took a deep breath, took a look back at Kakashi, who had returned to the fight, and took off after her sister. The rain limited Karasu's vision, but soon, she spotted green and pink flashes darting through the trees. Karasu slid a kunai off of her belt, and a dagger from the holster on her thigh. She focused, locked on to her sister, and threw her kunai. A smirk crossed her features as she saw the weapon strike Nikurashii, causing her to fall. Karasu ran at her with the dagger. Nikurashii yanked the kunai out of her calf, and blocked Karasu's attack.

"Nikurashii, I don't want to kill you…it's painful enough for me to hurt you!" Karasu said, desperately trying to reason with her younger sister. She began chuckling softly, before erupting into a fit of psychotic laughter. She staggered slowly to her feet.

"You're so weak sister. If you want to make it in this world, you have to be able to kill!" A wicked grin spread across her face, as she stared at Karasu with wide, bloodshot green eyes. It was clear that whatever sanity she had left was draining fast. The mud and blood that covered her also added to her mad appearance. She slashed at Karasu, who stepped back. "No…that's not right…" She slashed again, and once again, Karasu avoided it. "You have to want to kill!" She began slashing and lunging wildly at Karasu. "You have to have an unquenchable thirst for death! You have to kill until your hands are forever stained with the blood of your enemies! That's how you survive in this world!" As Nikurashii lunged at Karasu, she dodged, but slipped, and landed against a tree.

"Nikurashii…"

"You must kill your enemies, even if they're your own flesh and blood!" She raised the kunai, ready to land the killing blow. Karasu closed her eyes, and braced herself for it, but it never came. Instead, there was a surprised gasp, followed by a yelp, then the sticky splash of something landing in the mud. Karasu opened her eyes, and saw Nikurashii laying in the mud, and Kakashi standing over her, panting heavily.

"Kakashi?"

"I couldn't…shake the feeling…that something bad…was going to…happen." he said, trying to catch his breath. Karasu furrowed her brow.

"Are you alright?" He nodded.

"I'm…fine…it's just…" With a pained grunt, he fell to his knees.

"Kakashi!"

"I'm…fine…" he insisted. "It's just…the sharingan…"

"It's draining your chakra, isn't it?" Nikurashii asked, getting to her feet. Kakashi's eyes widened. "You poor thing…allow me to put you out of your misery!"

"No!" Karasu screamed. She jumped up, and sprinted at Nikurashii, dagger ready. She closed her eyes as she felt the blade lodge itself between her sister's ribs. Her sister gagged, and choked, then fell forward into Karasu's arms, a line of crimson dripping from the corner of her lips. Blood began pooling from the wound, pouring onto Karasu, then washing away with the rain. She hugged her younger sister to her, tars spilling from her eyes. "Nikurashii…I'm so sorry…" she murmured.

"Don't…cry…" she said between ragged breaths. "You…freed me…thank you…Kara-onee…chan…" She let out her last breath and went still. Karasu sobbed, still hugging her sister tightly.

"Nikurashii…I'm sorry…If only I'd been stronger…I love you Nikurashii…" Kakashi hugged her to him.

"Oh Karasu…"

"She was only fifteen…she was just a kid…" she cried. "She didn't deserve this life…"

"Neither…do you…we can give…her a…proper burial…and head home." Hesitantly, Karasu nodded.

"Alright…"


End file.
